Top Chef Star Tom Colicchio’s Top 5 Entertaining Tips

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Top Chef Star Tom Colicchio’s Top 5 Entertaining Tips

Whether it's an impromptu visit from the in-laws or a more formal fete, entertaining should be fun, not frightening. When Top Chef judge, chef, and restaurateur Tom Colicchio hosts parties in his home, the last thing he wants to do is stress about what to prepare or spend all night in the kitchen. "I don’t believe that you have to wow everybody, but a few simple things that are really delicious is good enough," he says. Colicchio told us his top five hassle-free tips—including quick and easy recipes—to help to keep your cool when company arrives.

1. Keep It Simple
Before you go shopping, consider what's already in your pantry. Put out a great antipasti platter that includes items you might already have on-hand like nuts, dried fruits, cured meats, cheeses, and spreads for guests to nibble. "Olives, pickles, roasted peppers… those things are easy and you can put them in a bowl and people can just help themselves," Colicchio says.

"If you have eggplant, grill it and add a little olive oil, chopped mint. or maybe some chili peppers. Grill some zucchini, sliced peppers—all of this stuff is great at room temperature, so there is no waiting timing to get it on the table. Plus, it looks great. Don’t try to make it too pretty and have a good time!”

Try Colicchio’s super-simple and tasty one-pot pasta dish. It not only cuts down on calories, but by using ingredients you already have in your pantry, it's also cost effective—and there's only one pot to wash!

Instructions:
Throw the pasta into boiling salted water. Add uncooked broccoli rabe, strain; add back to the pot with garlic and olive oil. Finish with a bit (or a lot) of cheese and black pepper. Enjoy!